


Batman, the Pink Lantern

by Blackarrow_bagels1



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce Being a good dad, Unbeta'd, comic references but also i dont really read comics to oops, ill defend these lantern choices if you ask, star sapphires are called pink lanterns because i say so, the green lanterns are mentioned in passing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:00:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26209831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackarrow_bagels1/pseuds/Blackarrow_bagels1
Summary: Batman is a pink lantern, but not all his kids are.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 48
Collections: One Word Week (FSG Theme Week)





	Batman, the Pink Lantern

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for a challenge- the One-Word-Week challenge! I'm excited to see what everyone else posts. also please comment they're my life force.

Bruce wasn’t a morning person. Between his single- with Alfred’s help- parenting, day job, and “night job,” the rising sun was a detestable sight. At least this night had been relatively quiet. He checked the rearview mirror of the batmobile, a small smile creeping onto his face. Nightwing had fallen asleep alone in the passenger seat, but the rest of the family- at least the ones who went out at night- were asleep on each other. In the middle was Jason, head rolled back onto the head rest, each arm holding a different brother. To his right was Tim, curled into his brother’s side like he’d been there his whole life. Damian was under Todd’s left arm, hair being ruffled by his brother’s hand. Stephanie and Cass had also joined the pile, Steph sleeping across the boys’ laps, and Cass sitting in the farthest back seat, her arms wrapped around Jason’s chest. The sun was just beginning to come up, but December in Gotham had record long nights. Bruce wasn’t sure how long each kid had been out, but he was fairly confident it was around twelve hours. Stake-outs were brutal, and each of his kids breathing softly, safe in the back of the car, peacefully dreaming, was a welcome change of pace.

Of course all good things come to an end. As the car approached the waterfall, backing into the cave’s entrance, something flew in as well. Even with his practiced perception, Bruce hadn’t gotten a good look at whatever it was. Colorful streaks made a pastel trail behind it, but they dissipated in the sunlight. Bruce’s paranoia began to set in, a mix of PTSD and paternal instinct reigniting the blood in his body. He was no longer tired, adrenaline spiking yet again that night. He sat up straight in the front seat, one arm already hovering over NIghtwing’s chest. He waited for a moment, the still nothingness of the cave making him more and more tense. Whatever it was that snuck in managed to avoid his, and the batmobile’s, sensors. Bruce took mental stock of what was most at risk, before throwing the door open, fists ready. When nothing happened, he slammed the door and ran for Duke’s room.  
\--

Seeing Duke safe, as peacefully asleep as his own kids downstairs in the cave, Bruce let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Duke woke up, his training making him aware of the cold air rushing in with the open door, and jumped at the sight in his door. Bruce smiled, trying to offset the gut fear reaction of seeing The Goddamn Batman in your doorway. Duke smiled back, a lopsided, tired smile. It was time to get up, anyways. Bruce closed the door, wordlessly agreeing that Duke would check in with his dad before leaving that morning.

Now it was Bruce’s turn to be surprised. Before he even entered the cave, the sounds of his kids arguing carried down the hallways. He couldn’t exactly make out what they were saying, but their tones were serious. He quickened his pace, regretting slamming the door shut. That’s probably what woke his kids up. However, when he entered the cave, he didn’t regret his previous caution.

There was Dick, fully awake, surrounded by arguing siblings, glowing with a light blue aurora Batman recognised, and floating several feet off the ground. Dick seemed elated, swimming through the air with a practiced ease. He laughed and did a few flips, while the chaos slowly descended on the cave. Damian was trying to grab his brother’s feet, desperate to pull him back to the ground. Jason, no longer the tallest of the bunch, was yelling something at Dick, standing as straight as possible (on his toes) trying to maintain eye contact. Tim seemed to be in a heated argument with Cass, the both of them signing with a speed that would put any translator to shame. Steph, like Damian, seemed to be trying to climb onto Dick, but using the roof of the batmobile as leverage. Bruce knew what was happening- and despite Nightwing’s apparent excitement- he was not happy.

His son was a Blue Lantern.

“Dick!” he called from the doorway, effectively grabbing everyone’s attention. In terrifying unison, six heads turned to look at him, trapped in a momentary, stunned silence. And then all hell broke loose again. Each kid started talking, and running towards him, trying to explain what was going on. Despite his training, Bruce could only barely make out what each kid was saying. When Bruce slammed the door, Nightwing had woken up first. They, after a fight about sleeping on each other, all got out of the car when something small and blue had gone after the oldest. That caused a commotion that Bruce couldn’t decipher, but eventually the ring had found it’s way onto Dick’s finger, and then he started to fly. That’s around the time when Batman returned- just as the abilities of a Blue Lantern were dawning on the group. 

Somehow, Bruce managed to persuade his kids to go to bed. He promised they’d all talk about this after they slept and refreshed their minds. As they all headed back up, Duke came down for the daily check in. Nothing had changed since yesterday, but the routine reassured the single father. He needed to know that his kids were alright, especially this morning. Just as Dick was starting to leave, Bruce caught his arm. They had to talk about this, now.

Dick still seemed ecstatic. His goofy smile light up his whole face, and he was as bouncy as he’d been as an eight year old acrobat. Bruce felt a pang of pain in his chest, remembering how small and sweet his first son was as a kid. Dick had grown considerably, but he still had round cheeks. 

“You’re a…. Lantern, now.” Bruce started, unsure how to say what he was thinking. Dick nodded, feet touching the ground. He was smaller than his father now, but still seemed weightless. “At least you’re not a green one,” Bruce laughed, taking off the cowl. It did nothing to lighten Bruce’s mood, which seemed to grow heavier as more and more worries ran through his mind.

“I’m not going to leave you,” Dick started, staring straight into Bruce’s eyes. This was Batman’s fault. He’d raised a kid, a son, but also a partner in fighting crime. This meant that Dick could read his father’s body language to a T, sometimes reading his thoughts word for word. Bruce wanted to be reassured by what his son said, but it wasn’t enough. If Dick didn’t leave for space, more lanterns would come, insistent on taking him. Batman had already fought to keep his son before, he didn’t want to do it again. Bruce looked back into Dick’s eyes, an entire conversation about the fate of this new Blue Lantern Status happening between them. 

Until it was interrupted by a shout. It came from the house, around the bedrooms. Instantly Bruce had turned on his heels, bolting as quickly as he could. Had aliens already shown up to take his son? Were they coming after the others- how many were there-

Bruce’s morning only got worse. Instead of an army of lanterns, or a battle happening in his manner, he was faced with an even worse fate. None of his kids had gone to bed. Instead, they, too, were marveling at the new surprise. This time they were silent, looking between themselves and Jason. Jason, who was glowing pink, and floating several inches off the ground. 

He was a Pink Lantern.

That’s two kids of his an alien army would come to steal. Bruce could feel his hair grey in real time.  
\--

His day only got worse, after that. While they were all sleeping, something broke in a window. Fearing the worst, Bruce was already in a fighting stance when he tracked the sound to Tim’s room. Instead of finding his son in a fight, or even gone, he watched something small and green slide onto his third son’s finger. He nearly fainted.

Next was Stephanie. They’d all woken up by the time it happened, a small blue ring nestling itself on her hand too quickly for Bruce to stop. There was no way he could protect them all. He’d have to call in reinforcements. Jessica and Simon were in space on a mission, Kyle was MIA, and John was doing official League business on the other side of the earth. Oh god, that left Hal or Guy.

Cassandra was next. A third blue lantern joined the group. The ring had come when she was in the shower, and her scream almost triggered a heart attack in Bruce. Dick and Stephanie were elated, forming a Blue Ring Club in part of the cave to practice.

When Duke came home, and the sun started to set, something small and purple came after Damian. Bruce had been expecting it, but still couldn’t defend his son in time. The others celebrated, floating around the manor and creating constructs to spar with in the air. Bruce had to face the inevitable- he’d have to call one of the lanterns. This was getting ridiculous.

Bruce wanted to talk to Duke before leaving for patrol that night. Singal was the newest to the family, and he wanted to make sure his son didn’t feel left out. Besides, not being lanterns could lead to some nice father/son bonding. As he made his way over, his heart sank. A familiar green aurora was glowing around Duke, and a small ring was on his finger. That was all his children. They were all lanterns. There was no way he could protect them all.  
\--

Patrol that night was delayed. Technically, Bruce had promised they’d all talk about Dick being a lantern later in the day, and they hadn’t done that yet. The topic that night would be extended to the rest of the family. Corralling the kids into one space, on the ground, constructless, was a tall order, but the Dad Voice managed to do the job.

“Inexplicably,” Batman started, cowl still on, “you’ve all become lanterns.” The kids looked like they wanted to interject, somehow spin this as a positive thing, but Bruce stopped them. “I don’t know how this happened, but I promise you, I will stop it.” The kids all looked at each other. 

“Why?” Duke asked first, before the others could explain exactly what Bruce was worried about. 

“Being a lantern means joining their army. Their war,” Bruce started. He remembered dying, had vague memories of being a black lantern himself. It was hard, desperate, and painful. He hated the lack of agency he had, the utter powerlessness. The idea of one of his kids- any of his children- feeling that way brought tears to his eyes. He’d talked to the living lanterns, too. They tried to hide it, but their devotion to the cause was all consuming. Draining. Bruce had caught Hal on more than one occasion have a break down due to the shear stress alone. He’d watched Guy’s decline into being a Red Lantern, and the heartbreak of trying to break free. He was still at risk of relapsing, and it frightened the League. Even Kyle, who spent time as a Lantern of a few different colors had troubles, and experienced heavy losses. Bruce had watched how Kyle’s downfall had affected those around him, breaking Guy, almost shutting down John, and nearly killing Hal. As much as Bruce liked Simon and Jessica, he feared watching them break down the same way he watched every lantern break down. He remembered the footage of Barry being possessed by Parallax, the embodiment of fear being almost unstoppable inside a trained hero.

“We know,” Duke responded. Bruce was lost in thought, spiraling in negativity. “But, Gotham’s our home. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’m not leaving.” The green aurora around him glowed a little stronger, his determination and dedication to the city empowering him. The others nodded, their own auroras growing stronger.

“I won’t abandon you, Father.” Damian chirped in, sitting up a little straighter. He’d started to slouch when he hung around his brothers. Bruce thought of it as a sign that he was finally comfortable around them, and was grateful everytime Damian’s posture wasn’t the rigid perfection Ra’s had beaten into him.

“This is my city, too.” Jason added on, folding his arms. He wouldn’t say he loved his family out loud, but the deep pink that surrounded him was enough.

“We love you, Bruce.” Stephanie interjected, leaping out of her seat. “Besides, this city would crumble without us!”  
“I-” Bruce tried to speak, but Nightwing had already gotten up from his seat. Within moments he was hugging Bruce, and soon everyone else joined. It was a warm pile, the combined energy from the lantern rings bathing the cave walls in soft, pastel light. The hug was warm, and Bruce melted under the weight and safety of his family. He finally let his guard down. The Lantern Corps would come for his kids, but he wouldn’t be alone in defending them.

Tim noticed it first, of course. There was no way the world’s greatest detective wouldn’t. He started to laugh, catching his father’s attention. Wordlessly, he motioned towards Bruce’s hand. Looking down, he saw a small, pink ring had wormed its way onto his finger, encasing his whole family in a protective light. For all the fear he’d experienced today, the worry and heartache and apprehension and dread, what got him through was love. And the universe was finally reflecting it.

Jason spoke up first. “So…. who’s going to tell the corps?”


End file.
